What is a common cognitive distortion found in individuals with anxiety?

Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion where individuals anticipate the worst possible outcome in a given situation, often leading to significant anxiety. This thought pattern involves jumping to the most negative conclusion without sufficient evidence, which heightens feelings of fear and helplessness. For instance, someone who is anxious about an upcoming presentation might convince themselves that they will embarrass themselves in front of everyone, leading to a spiral of negative thoughts and increased anxiety.

In contrast, while overgeneralization may also occur in anxiety, it typically involves drawing broad conclusions from a single event (e.g., thinking that because one job interview went poorly, all future interviews will fail). Minimization refers to downplaying the significance of positive events or achievements, which is less directly related to the intense anticipatory anxiety typical of catastrophizing. Comparative thinking involves assessing oneself against others, which can create feelings of inadequacy but is not inherently tied to the anxiety response like catastrophizing is.

Thus, the characteristics of catastrophizing make it particularly salient in the context of anxiety disorders, as it encapsulates the tendency to focus on and amplify fears about potential negative events.